"Underneath The Moonlight, The Withered Flower Blooms… Originally Sunken In A Sea Of Death, It Blooms Once More"
Inside The Main Household Of The Yamikei Clan… Aaliyah, Amaya, Selene And Sachiko All Stand In Front Of The Grand Elder, And Three Other High Ranking Sorcerers, Asami, Yaku, Kojiro And Hotoke. Who're All Sitting Down.
Grand Elder(Stern, Voice Filled With Malice): Aaliyah, During The Sorcerer Exams… Selene Has Managed To Use Divine Power Mixed With Demon Power… We Have Reason To Believe You Have Something To Do With It.
Aaliyah(Firm): …
Suddenly, Asami Hits Slams Her Fist Against The Wall Behind Her…
Asami(Voice Filled With Rage): Silence Won't Get You Anything But A Worse Punishment!
Selene(Confused): My Mother Didn't Do Anything Wro-
Suddenly, Amaya Kicks Selene's Leg.
Amaya(Serious): Be Quiet! And Watch You're Mouth!
Aaliyah Then Steps Forward, Her Face Filled With Defiance And Anger.
Aaliyah(Defiant, Eyes Filled With Fury): I Protected My Daughter From All Of You Bastards! And Mother, You Will Not Lay Another Hand On My Daughter, Or I'll Forget That You're My Mother!
Selene Tugs Onto Aaliyah's Sleeve, Her Voice Panicked…
Selene(Pleading, Panicking): Mom… What're You Doing?! You Have to Stay Quie-
Aaliyah Looks At Selene, With Determination In Her Eyes… While Also Having A Smile On Her Face.
Aaliyah(Reassuring): It's Alright Selene… Nothings Going To Happen To You, But I'm Also Not Going To Just Sit There And Stay Silent While They Try To Control My Life.
Grand Elder(Questioning, Grim): Do You Really Think You Are In Any Position To Be Making Demands?! If You Have A Problem I Await You're Challenge.
Aaliyah(Grunting, Eyes Bloodshot Red): Then Bring You're Old Ass Down Here, And Let's See Between Us Who's Stronger…
Aaliyah(Coldly): If You Need Assistance From You're Lap Dogs Next To You… That's Fine Two.
Yaku(Chuckling, Amused): I Like This One… I Honestly Can't Really Blame'er.
Kojiro(Sighing): If You're Not Helping, Then Just Shut The Hell Up.
Then Suddenly, Aaliyah Turns Around To See Amaya Walking Up To Her And She Slaps Her Across Her Face.
Amaya(Eyes Watering, Voice Shaking, With Frustration, Yet A Subtle Hint Of Desperation And Worry): Will You Just Stop It Already!!! Why Do You Have To Make Things Harder For Yourself?!!
Amaya(Eyes Watering, Voice Shaking, With Frustration, Yet A Subtle Hint Of Desperation And Worry): You're Going To Get Yourself Killed If You Keep Acting Like This!
Aaliyah, Selene, And Sachiko All Look At Amaya In Confusion… As Emotions She's Never Shown Before Begin Spilling Out.
Aaliyah(Eyes Widened, With Surprise, Locked Onto Amaya's Face): …
Selene(Internally): Grandma…
Grand Elder(Frustrated): I Don't Have Time For This… Sachiko, You Were There When Selene Was Born… What Did Aaliyah Do?!
Sachiko Looks Over To Aaliyah, Who's Eyes Are Glued To The Ground…
As Sachiko Then Looks At Selene's Worried And Tense Face.
Sachiko(Defiant, Yet Tense): I…
Sachiko Takes One More Look At Aaliyah, And Selene… As She Stands Taller.
She Then Remembers Her And Aaliyah's Younger Years From When They First Met, And When They Became Best Friends… And Then Sisters.
Sachiko(Internally): Aaliyah… You Were My First Ever Friend, Even When My Parents Abandoned Me, After I Was Born… You Were There For Me, Even When I Lost The Will To Live, And Then You Found Me, In That Field Of Dead Flowers… And We Became Sisters.
Sachiko(Internally): Our Bond Has Grown So Strong That I Know What You're Feeling Even If You Don't Say Anything… Our Hearts And Souls Are Connected, So… Even If It Means I Would Die…
Sachiko(Firm): Shortly After Selene Was Born…
Amaya And Aaliyah Look At Sachiko… Aaliyah's Face Tenses Up, As She Thinks That Sachiko Is Going To Reveal Their Secret.
Sachiko(Firm, Resolved): I Sent A Clone Out With Miss Amaya, And I Stayed Behind To Perform A Prayer…
Aaliyah(Eyes Slightly Widened): Sachiko.. What're You Doing?! Don't-
Sachiko(Serious): Don't Worry About Me Aaliyah! You Have To Stay With Selene… She Needs Her Mother In Her Life. I Did That While Knowing The Risks Of What Would Happen When They Find Out.
Aaliyah(Loss For Words): B-, …
Aaliyah(Internally): You Don't Have To Lie For Me… We- We Can Figure Something Out!
Sachiko(Serious): I Performed A Prayer Ritual, That Would Protect Selene From This Clan's Cursed Rituals That Would Plant Divine Powers Within Her Soul, To Protect Her From The Demon Power That You All Force Inside Of Newborn Babies At Birth!
Kojiro(Questioning): I Don't Understand… Why Would You Do That, Despite Knowing What Would Happen-
Sachiko Stands Taller… Her Voice With Confidence, While Also Shaking Slightly With Fear.
Sachiko(Serious, Firm): I Did It Because I Could Not Allow You To Curse Another Child Who Has Only Been In This World For Five Minutes… You're Obsession With Sticking To The Old Ways Of Sorcery, It's Pathetic!
Sachiko Slowly Walks Up In Front Of The Grand Elder, Her Eyes Refusing To Leave His As She Stares Down Into His Soul.
Sachiko(Tears Flowing Down Her Eyes, While She Smiles): I'm Tired… Of Standing By, While You Keep Cursing The Destinies Of These Children… So I Don't Care What Happens To Me… Even When I Die, I Stare Down At You From The Spirit Realm, And Curse You To Death.
Grand Elder(Intimidating): Is That So????
Then Suddenly, A Four Yamikei Clan Members Enter The Room… One Guy Aged 35 With A Mustache And His Eyes Black With Red Iris's, And Black Attire On, And A Woman Aged 24 With Short Black Hair, Black Boots On With Red Bottoms, And An Eye Patch Covering Her Right Eye With A Scar Underneath It…
And Another Man Aged 26, With Messy Hair And White Eyes. And The Other Man With His Face Concealed…
Selene(Panicking, Fast Paced Breathing): Auntie What's Happening?!
Sachiko Then Looks Down To Selene, As She Smiles… With Tears Flowing Down Her Eyes.
Sachiko(Smiling): You And You're Mom Are Going To Be Okay Selene, Don't Worry About Me Anymore.
Selene(Crying): You Can't Ask Me Not To Worry About You… I- I Don't Know What I Did, But I Didn't Mean To-
Sachiko Then Pulls Both Selene And Aaliyah In For A Tight Hug.
Sachiko(Smiling): You Didn't Do Anything… And, I Know You're Scared. But I Need You To Be Strong… And I'm Begging You Selene, Keep On Living. For Me, For You're Mother, And For Your Little Brother.
Selene Then Rushes Toward The Grand Elder, As She Gets Down On Her Knees And Puts Her Head Down.
Selene(Pleading): Please… Don't Punish My Aunt For Something I Did! Punish Me Instead-
Hotoke(Grim): She's Not Even You're Aunt… So I'd Be Wise To Stay Quie-
Selene(Voice Raised, Angered Yet Pleading): YES SHE IS! I'm Just-
Selene Then Turns Her Attention Toward Amaya, As She Crawls Toward Her And Gets Down On Her Knees While Holding Onto Amaya's Long skirt.
Amaya(Serious): What Are You-
Selene(Pleading, Shaky): Grandma Please… I'm- I'm Begging You! Please Do Something!
Amaya Then Reluctantly Shoves Selene Off Of Her… As She Turns Her Head To The Side, Her Face Expressionless, Yet Expressive Still.
Sachiko(Smiling, Yet Crying Softly, Trying To Hide Her Pain): Selene, Stop It. That's Enough… There's Nothing You Can Do.
Selene(Eyes Unfocused, And Blurry Due To Tears): B-
Selene Then Looks At Aaliyah, Who's Eyes Are Puffy And Red… Around Her Eyes Redness…
As Her Iris's Turn Black, Her Mouth Slightly Open While She Stares Off Into The Distance… Seeming To Be Detached, Her Body In The Room Physically, Yet Not There.
Selene(Sobbing): Ma… Please, Do Something!
Sachiko(Serious, Eyes Watering): Selene, Stop It.
The Four Yamikei Clan Members, Then Lock Up Sachiko's Arms And Legs In Magic Sealing Chains And Shackles…
Grand Elder(Serious): Take Her To The Detention Center, And Lock Her Up There Until Further Notice… Meanwhile, We Will Push Up The Date For Malum's Revival And Sealing Inside Of Selene, To Three More Weeks From Now.
As Sachiko Is Guided Out Of The Room, Selene Looks Up At The Grand Elder With Frustration, And Resentment Filling Her Tearful Expression… Her Face Turning Red, As She Clenches Her Fists.
Grand Elder(Coldly): Is There Something You Wish To Say?!
Selene Clenches Her Fists Even More, Her Fingers Digging Into Her Palm As A Small Spike In Her Spiritual Energy, Rises… And Her Eyes Momentarily Flash Red… As Amaya Then Puts Her Hand On Selene's Shoulder And Guides Her Out Of The Room.
Amaya(Serious): We Need To Go.
As Selene Passes By Aaliyah, She Looks At Aaliyah Who Is Still Not Mentally/Spiritually There, But Is There Physically, As She Is Still Staring Off.
Selene's Expression, Frustration, Sadness "Why Didn't You Do Something, And Try To Help Auntie" She Thought To Herself As She Left The Quarters.
Selene(Mumbling, Enraged): This Is You're Fault Ma… Why Can't You- I Hate You. I Don't Want To Ever See You Again.
"The Moon Still Not Full, It's Heart Broken… As The Dead Flower, Detached From Its Roots, Slowly Fades Away… It's Petals, Flying Off Into The Distance"
To Be Continued, In Part VII…